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But many Republicans believe that a Kiehne-Kirkpatrick race would give Democrats a strong advantage in a district that should perform better for the GOP. Mitt Romney won the district in 2012, but Kiehne’s history of controversial statements — he once claimed Democrats were responsible for 99 percent of mass shootings in the U.S. — would ease Kirkpatrick’s path to reelection.

With 17 percent of precincts reporting when The Associated Press called the race, Ducey led with 37 percent, while Smith, the former mayor of Mesa, had 23 percent. Former GoDaddy executive Christine Jones was third, with 15 percent.

Ducey, the former CEO of Cold Stone Creamery, has been widely considered the conservative favorite, lining up endorsements from figures like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But Smith secured the incumbent’s endorsement earlier this month.

Brewer quickly got behind the nominee on Tuesday night.

“Let me be perfectly clear: I am a friend of Doug Ducey, and I wholeheartedly support him for Arizona’s next governor,” Brewer told the crowd at the GOP election-night rally in Phoenix.

In the 9th District, another retired Air Force officer, Wendy Rogers, won the GOP nomination to face freshman Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema.

And in the deep-blue 7th District, former state Rep. Ruben Gallego is poised to succeed retiring Rep. Ed Pastor after beating former Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox in the Democratic primary.